Italian artist and social activist Alexsandro Palombo has released a new series of works entitled “Stop The Drug War,” that reimagines Homer Simpson as the two most prolific drug traffickers in recent history — Pablo Escobar and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman — also incorporating Bart Simpson and President Barack Obama into the pieces.
In his blog Humor Chic, Alexsandro explains his intent is to highlight the “war” against drugs that has caused more than 60,000 deaths in Mexico alone over the last seven years, as well as the potential legalization of marijuana, “a topic that has always divided public opinion but is now turning into a major trend thanks to countries [and states] like Uruguay, Colorado, and Washington.” He then goes on to ask, “If, 30 years ago, the institutions of various countries would have taken the path of the drug legalization, would have there been all that blood shed and a drug dealer as powerful as ‘El Chapo’ today?”
The choice to use Homer as a vehicle for this parody is intriguing. After all, in many ways Homer skewers the American patriarch as someone who is shallow, indifferent, uneducated, and pretty morally unprincipled — characteristics which could also be used to describe America’s insatiable demand for illegal drugs, which many blame for fueling the drug war.
This isn’t the first time Palombo has used cartoons to promote social activism. A series released in early March titled “What Kind of Man Are You?” depicts famous cartoon couples in scenes of domestic violence, with characters including Snow White and Lois Griffin, among others, visibly bruised and bloodied by their other half.
You can see the rest of Palombo’s “Stop the Drug War” series on Humor Chic HERE.